Arsenal have been dealt a boost in their pursuit of Matija Nastasic after Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini confirmed the defender would be on the move.

Nastasic, 21, has fallen further down the pecking order at City following the arrival of Eliaquim Mangala, and the Gunners have been given the green light to make an official move for the Serbian now that Pellegrini has admitted he won’t stand in his way.

‘Matija needs to play. We already have important players here, with Demichelis, Kompany, Mangala and Boyata,’ said the Chilean boss.

‘So we will see in the next few days what happens with Nastasic. He is an important player but he has offers and I think the best thing for him is to play.

‘We have until the end of August to see what kind of offers we get.’

Juventus are also keen on the former Fiorentina defender, who is expected to fetch in excess of £12million for his signing, but Arsenal are in prime position to make their move following the £15m sale of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona.

Pellegrini also confirmed Micah Richards would be on his way, saying: ‘He wants to play more. He had a contract to renew but didn’t want it.’